New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-23
THE BIGGEST OF ALL DAMS
WHAT PRESIDENT SPENCER SAYS OF IT..

A PERIL TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WASTE OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
Although the Asaeduct Commission has formal y
decided on building the Quaker Bridge DAM there is
small prospect that the work will be begun for some
time To come But if it should DO DELAYED for several
years it will be 30 much the better for the city, accord
ing to President Spencer and others who have
stndied the water supply problem. There 10 TO be an
effort made, howe, to push the dam along at once
and the matter Ia expected to up az eary
mceting OF the commission But owing to difference
of opinion how the dam should be built it's
slderaton may be stll further postponed. The engi
noer members oil the commission differ decidedly to
the kind Of daa that 10 necessary butd Ia order to
secure its safety, while neera outside OF the
mission that dan p S q Wd The plans
ones before the commission, would be certain to
give way and not only leave the city without water
'1 The SsSs proposed Io the
Public Works, when Commissioner Thompson v as AT
the head OF it. severely attae ked at the public
hearings OF the AYueduct Commission that the COM
mssiouers unaumOusly of the opinion that Q
dam built according TO them would not DO safe. They
were Withdrawn and pians tor stronger dam sup.
mitted. Commissioner Barnes, who 10 an epgmcer OF
wide experience, holds that osin built ON the plans
now before The com nssiOn would be an experiment.
and might UNSAFE Long before ne OF tranbs
and expense 10 himself, he drew up plan for curved
dam, arching up stream and supmitted them 70 .ne
pressed With these plans and they referred to
thef Engineer Church. He did not approve them
and Nj. Bar nees plans have been in the chiet engi
neer's pigeon -holes ever sincs. Now Commissioner
Newton, who is also an engineer Of wide experience,
declares that dam built Mr.. Barues's plans would
be sure to give way as an arch OF such lcnsth-over
800 feet would be element OF week instead
OF strngth and that there Is not proper foundation
for an xrchea dam. Air. Barnes declares this to be
absurd. there 10 rock foundation. ana the size Of
the srch lie says has nothing do with its strength
He is decidedly OF the opinion that an srched dam Is
necessary TO secure safety.
missioner Newton said 1" A curved dam at the Quaker
Bridge site ould be unsafe" Commissioner Barnes,
speak ing on the subject, said: would not say
mission would be give way. but should regard
such dam o doubtful ext erimenI The great dams,
dss Bdsa S SSo built ,ha, DAM is G
IN favor the greater security OF curved DAMS Ran
kim o great authority, favors curved dams. J. b.
Trautwine. expreSse like opinion. II stands to
reason that q cui we'd dam convex toward the water
With the solid rock each end, would resist greater
pressure than q straight dam. The northeast winds
hich will ple up the against the Quaker Bridge
Dam in winter will require 1t to be strong enough to
resist much greater than the force Of
tho water. i ain decidedly OF opinion that curved
dam is necessary, and think General Newton will
change bis opinion before he gets through
Chef Engineer Brdsal Of the Public Works Do
partment, iavors the carved dam, while Chef Engi
neer Church. of the Aqueduct Commission Is strongly
opposed to it.
tbs question has to be decided. After plans
adopted pubc hearings must be given. according 70
the Interpretation Of the law by President Spencer
Judge Arnoux and other lawyers, though the Corpora
ton Coun ell is UNDERSTOOD to no that this Is not
necessary. If the COMM sion should attempt to 60
ahead on he present plans or on new Ones the oppo-
nents Of the whole scheme will at once 60 in the
courts to compel public hearings on full plans and
speci ions which have not yet been furnished to
the public, and long litigation may follow. In con-
versaton the subject yesterday President Spencer
said:
The QUESTION whether OF not the plans and specif-
cations befo,e the commission. and on which pub
Inc hearings held, are sufficient compliance with
tho law perhaps doubtful one. The CorpoI alton
Counsel holds that they sufficient. Ii is my pro-
f. ssional opinion that they not But matter of
fact no plans have been adopted. The whole matter
o. to plans is open. and do not know how the pres
ent commission stands on the question Of curved or
straight dam The public hearings all before the
old commission. Although vote taken
the question of building tie dan the commission
question. Controller Loew was opposed 10 the dam
and believe Mayor Grace was OF the same opinion
these with vote made he commission tie on the
tutject The Mayor and the Controller were egslated
out of the comm ssiOn and three members have
been ad led, which accounts for the change this
subject"
mit,ed for the forty miles of bridges and highways
that have 70 be built"
haze never seen any. Within fortnight have
seen a map at the chief engineers othce. giving the
proposed location of these roads and bridges. but
hardly think that would be regarded as compliance
i, it known exactly how much land will be required
whether three. four or five thousand acres -
Il think not"
pgineer Is any al made for superintendent
by the Aqueduct Commission, and for compensation
for the seventy mill powers which will have to be
aken, according to one of the opponents OF the
scheme, aud which lie says are worth 81 400 OOef"
NO. The estimate does not make sny allowance
for such superintendent for the mill powers The
fact is there is good deal Of guesswork about the
estimates submitted far. The commission has
hal before it detailed plan. ana specific atoms with
roads etc., rs believe the law coniempla As to
the ultimate cost of the whUle scheme believe it will
be two three times greater than the estimates of
the chief gDeer."
"Were any plans and specifications for the dam sub
nitted to Mr.. Francis and the other engineers who
employed experts to pass upon this question T.
sNo. TLey we're not asked to approve plans for the
dam They we've employed by Commissioner Thompaon
to pass upon the scheme of storing tho water AZ this
point They gave the opinion that it would be good
Thing to do and that dam eou be built there, but
they did not pass upon any plan. Now 90 not think
that the question TO whether the wafer snould be
stored by one big dam at this point or In separate
according the method pursued heretofore
s an engineering question at all. Both netLoos are
feasible have DOUBT that safe dan be built
If sufficient money is expended. But belle that il
would be terrible mistake, to say nothing Of the |
waste of money for the city to have draw all its
Of storage caacty al that will be needed for this
city TOR long time to come, be obtained ut
halt the cost by means OF parate reservoirs and the
advantage the OF health H. to my mind meal
cula ole. The bas at different times been bad
In everv one of tho existing reservoirs. Ii it was
served to the city it from the reservoirs the
people would raise great outcry and refuse drink
t. But after leaving the storage reservoirs this
through artificial geysers and then tor many miles
rocks gravel beds and through forests and mead
ows and long before reaches the aqueduct it has Oe
come pure. limpid and living water in perfect cond
hon for have iesed this by actual experiment
to the BO, de- Corner reservoir when the water
h It unfit The gates raised and 1t |
sent up into the air through the geyscs and then
down the stream Tho sufficiently high so |
that could follow it horseback al the way 70 |
Croton Lake. When IL had got halfway down the bad
taste had entirety disappeared and when it reached
the aqueduct it had oeen thoroughly purified. The
water in Crotoa Lake, mixing with this water coming
face, from which he Tor the present aqueduct
drawn. Now under the Quaker bridge Dam method |